The picket fence
by Rice-Kristie
Summary: Finn's dad never died. War has always changed a man but this time not for the best. PTSD has a way of altering not just the person but the people they are close to. Warnings inside.
1. Home

**This is a fic on abuse so contain triggers so be cautious when reading. Also due to the nature of this fic please tell me if it's too soon or if anything needs to change. This fic is set during season 1 and will roughly follow the story line. **

**This fic was beta'd by the lovely and amazing IThinkIJustGleedMyself.**

**I do not own Glee.**

It's always surprising how quiet the street gets. It's only nine, yet it seems like everyone is in bed. The whole street is quiet, wholesome, so much that no one ever expects it. The thick glass homes seem silent from the outside and give of an almost peaceful vibe. That is until you get Hudson's.

Everyone practically runs past this house. The neighbors go to great lengths to only talk to its inhabitants when needed. No one knows when or why this started; only that it started suddenly one day, and not even the day of Christopher's return did the house feel this way. On that day the house was full of celebration and life. He had made it home, dishonourably sure, but no one blamed him with the horrors he was facing. Just the wrong coping method.

Looking inside now, there is nothing wrong. A mother and son going about the daily task of cleaning the kitchen before bed; plates, pots and glasses are all away ready for another day, and the task is made enjoyable with the radio on while smiles grace their faces with no worry.

"Hey mom, do you think you could make it to the game this weekend?" the son, Finn, asks.

"I should be able unless Mr Troust makes me work a double again. You still need those new sneakers," Carole, Finn's mom, replies, neither turning away from what they're doing.

"Finn, have you done your homework for tomorrow?" Carole gives a snort at Finn's sudden panicked expression, and then his mad dash to his room to do his work. This always happens, but it wouldn't be Finn if it didn't.

Sometime has passed in the house, the only sounds being that of the radio, a pen scratching and the occasional sound of feet shuffling on hard wooden floors.

For them, this time of night is the best; the relaxed activities are being done and it calms them down. For Finn, it's the stress of being what's expected, especially with Quinn; for Carole it the stress of being screamed at by her multiple bosses. These stresses have always eaten them up. They know that this won't change no matter what happens so they let the comfort of their time together help.

To anyone looking in this seems normal. It always has and always will. It has never stopped the nerves of crossing their driveway, but people have stopped noticing much but beyond the window view they see. It's not much different to what they see in front of them. A small family who seem to love each other a lot, but this ignorance hurts this mother and son so much. Why can't people look deeper into what causes their feelings? They know they'll never find out and they too have stopped questioning.

Just for now. While in the quiet safety of their home, doing things that make them mostly happy; sure Finn would rather being playing video games and Carole watching TV , but tonight this is as close as they get.

"Mom, can Quinn come over for dinner tomorrow?" Finn shouts down after remembering what his girlfriend had been nagging about all day.

"Sure, I'll tell your dad when he gets home." Today will be better is their motto. Everyday has to be better than the last or they've learnt nothing.

That's what they always think until in the distance a car turns onto the street. It's old and covered in rust. Christopher is on his way home and the peaceful night the mother and son were having is gone, along with their relaxed state, in the blink of an eye, and all with the slam of a car door.

Carole's and Finn's head shoot up. Their nightmare is home.

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	2. See no evil

Looking down at my work, I would have never have guessed my life would ever get like this. I have a great girlfriend in Quinn; I'm the school's quarterback - the most popular guy in school and my best friend is Puck, the school badass. What more is there to ask for?

Sighing, I look at my framed picture of Quinn next to my bed. The picture that makes her hair sparkle like diamonds. Hell knows that without Quinn and Puck I would be just another loser like that gay kid or miss gold star; a _nobody_. I can't be that. Dad wouldn't accept that. The only problem is that with how far behind with work I am, I'm so close to being off the football team.

I should have started dating Quinn about two years ago when it was expected so I wouldn't be in this position. But there is no way to change the past. Either way something had to change quickly and this essay for Mr Schuester is not helping matters at all. That class is so boring; I'm sleeping with my eyes open. It's one of the main classes I'm failing and Quinn wants me to join the celibacy club so my college application form will look better. I don't know how I'm meant to keep up with it all.

I don't even want to think that far ahead. I have to think about when my dad comes home. Looking down I realize that he will kill me from the lack of work I've done. I've got to get a move on.

Downstairs, I hear my mom clattering about making dinner for dad. She sent me up not that long ago to do this work. She knows the weird day I've had. Mr Schue finding that stuff in my locker, making me choose between glee club and detention... I can't believe I'm in Glee club. No one can know. The football team will seek some sort of punishment and then there's dad.

It happened in the past when the old kicker decided to join the green club and save the planet or something like that. He now sits with those tree huggers and does a lot for charity. Great guy, but not the right things for football. You need to be prepared to kill the grass if you're a kicker.

Puck and I had to plan his punishment as we do for everyone on the team. A port-a-potty toss is what we decided. It never fails to get a laugh out of everyone who sees it. We tossed that shit all the way down the hill leading to the fields and into a tower of Cheerios. I met Quinn that day, and had my first hand experience of Sue.

That woman scared almost me to death, but we managed to get away without any trouble from her. She said something like "Losers need to learn their place. Show them it." Ever since that day we have done that. Sure, I hold gay kid's jacket and bag, but he talks like the girls do with stuff like that and who wants their ears talked off?! It's just a simple dumpster toss. Most would say he belongs there but maybe I do. We all could but everyone has always said there is an order and with that a duty to carry out. At the start Puck shared this thought but he's likes being popular and wants to stay there. He only asks for me to this and he's my brother.

The people are the ones no one cares about, like this stupid essay. I give up. Typing in the English version of the essay, I translate it in _Google_ and copy it by hand. Makes it seem like I did more and no one can stay I didn't try. I did just in my own way.

It takes a while to, but when I'm done, my mom is still singing to herself. Packing my things, I'm about to join her when I hear my dad pull up into the drive. The sound the music cuts off is like lightening.

_Bang._

I hold my breathe. That was the loudest one so far this week.

I hear quiet, steady footsteps making their way to the door.

I'm still not breathing and my pulse is quickening. The sound of each foot fall gets louder and louder, and louder. I should be downstairs with my mom. I can't move. I can't…

Oh god. Please let tonight be a good night. There's not been one for weeks. Still, I chant it in my head like a mantra. Please_ let tonight be a good night_. Please, oh god please. Please let my dad be the one to come home. Please let it be Christopher.

The house is deathly silent. I can't even hear the goddamn refrigerator. With the silence comes a chill, a chill that sends hairs to sit on their ends.

The door handle jostles and the door swings open.

"Can you believe the nerve of Hummel?! He made me work for longer so he could take his fag of a son to see some fashion show!" Christopher came home today.

"Oh honey. Did you get paid for it?" Mom answers in her calming tone, as always. Anything to bring him temper down.

Finally, I release my breath and leave my room to say hi to him. Upon seeing him, I can't help but give him a quick hug and back pat with a mumbled hey.

"Hey Finn. How's your day been?" I can see his eyes. They're my dad's. He's home.

"Alright. Just girlfriend stuff and general class stuff." I almost want to cry, but he won't accept that. I almost do when his eyes roam my face, then my mom's and he finally gives my whole person a glance over; stopping at my arm.

He holds my arm and pushes my sleeve up exposing my wrist. "What's this?" He holds up my wrist to the light. There clear as day is a hand shaped bruise from where he grabbed me a few days ago.

"It's from one of the losers at school-" mom's face twists at that (I know she hates it when I call them that.) - "he had decided that he needed to fight back instead of accepting his fate. It didn't work and he ended up in the trash and then slushied."

"That's my boy."

I can see the pain in my mom's eye that I have actually done that but it's better than telling him the truth about that bruise. That episode came out of nowhere. He was convinced we were part of some terrorist group sent to get information and he wouldn't stop punching my stomach. Not until mom was finally able to administer a sedative of some sort. It still hurts, but I've had worse.

I wish I didn't have to have so many faces. Mom only knows the real me, but it's not enough.

That night goes pretty well. I mean, dad cuffed the back of my head when he saw how much work I had done and the quality of it. Not too bad considering that I have actually done the work. Just not the way people want me to.

The next day at school isn't so bad either. Easy enough to act as though everything is normal through the day. Me and Puck joke about like we normally do, and Quinn invites me back to hers for our weekly make-out session. Nothing too bad.

Home that night isn't that bad either and we had game night where me and dad rough housed a bit. It was fun overall.

A day at the weekend with the Glee kids is next, and though I don't want to admit it, it's actually kind of fun. The performance by Vocal Adrenaline is amazing. We will never be able to do that, not with me. _Never_ with me. I'm more two left feet than anything. Still, it's more fun than it should be. Artie is great to just talk general music with and if my dad isn't so keen on me being popular, I could see us being great friends.

Of course, my friends find out about it. And that leads to the customary revenge my friends had to give me. Paintballs hurt, they hurt even more when they hit fading bruises bringing them out again. Training is going to murder on Monday. My arms ache, my shoulders hurt and they hit something they shouldn't have.

But I got off light with them. With my dad not so much. A plate had been thrown and I may have a few cuts but what did I expect? He understood when I told him it was to make up credit that I need to get a football scholarship which I have (the best news I have ever gotten. I actually have a future out of this cow town). He'd rather I didn't even go anywhere near the losers except to trash toss them but he knows I don't get languages. Us Hudson's never have and dad spent a few years abroad.

My mom cried when I told them about the scholarship. She was so happy. Her and dad can stop money into an account for me. It'll all be paid for and I can do well and they can live happily. I will live happily. Probably with Quinn but happily none the less.

The next big news is that Schue's quitting. The Glee club is being disbanded and I still get my credits so I can get through this year. The others seemed down though. I get this is all they have and may ever had, but maybe they were pushing it too far. They were never going to be as good as Vocal Adrenaline.

"Didn't see you at Glee club today." Rachel corners me at my locker. I don't have time for this.

"Oh, is that still on?"

"I've taken over. I'm intern director, but expect the position to become more permanent."

My angel Quinn comes along. My cue to zone out and just nod when people look at me as they decide for me, I have no idea I want and they always get mad when you don't agree with them. Girls I mean. God she's so beautiful with her golden hair. And she invited me to her house. This day is getting even better. It would be even better if Rachel left and stopped talking about my reputation.

She may be right with me "throwing away a talent" but I can't in my house. My parents need me to be better now than some Glee singing sensation that will end up a nobody. I help my dad with our cars at home and he doesn't want to see me do something like that.. Not like him - say's it shows a man lacks honor. He wants me to pick up the tradition of doing great things. We're a family that has always done better than what was expected of us and I will make my dad proud. I will do better than what he thinks of me. I will make my mom proud and Quinn. If I don't I might end up like Shue or worse.

That night I worked hard at football training and all it got me was a verbal beating from what should have been my best friend. He could have ended it at "I'm sorry, but you know why I did it." Puck can be a great many things and he is like my brother...

But I don't need to be talked to like that. I know our code.

"We have a present for you." He finally says. "Come on."

He leads me down to the port-a-porty where I hear muffled screaming. All the team is stood around this one port-a-potty, grinning.

"We got the wheel-chair kid in there." Puck says to my confused face.

What? "Isn't that dangerous?"

Obviously they don't see it that way and I can't do that to Artie. He was the first one in that club to be kind to me. Rachel came on too forceful to be kind and she kinda freaks me out, Kurt and Mercedes only ever wanted to talk fashion and ignored me most of the time. I get it. I have bullied them most of their high school life, I would ignore me.

I take him out and wheel him away as quick as possible. This is the state with the most losers, inthis school especially. The Cheerioss are the only good team we have at anything. Looking down at Artie as we pass the greener grass truck I realized something. We could be amazing. We could be just as good as Vocal Adrenaline. We just can't stop believing.


End file.
